He's maybe even had to search a little harder during practicefor reasons to yell.

"He's always going to be coach Saban," linebacker Dont'aHightower said. "He's always going to yell, that's just the way hecoaches. I feel like we don't really have as many mental mistakes,so maybe sometimes he yells because he feels like he has to andthat's the way he coaches.

"As far as little mistakes and things like that, we don't havehalf as many as we did last year. That's a real big thing."

It has certainly put Saban in a better mood leading up to theCrimson Tide's opener Saturday against Kent State. It's the kind ofmaturity expected from a team with 10 starters back on defense.

Even questions on the depth chart and high expectations --subjects that have been known to rile him up in the past -- weregreeted with equanimity.

Saban's day got even better when junior college transfer DuronCarter had a transcript issue cleared up. The coveted wide receivermade his practice debut Monday, though Saban indicated earlier heprobably wouldn't have a big role in the opener with such a shorttimetable.

The depth chart did have some interesting twists. -- Quarterbacks AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims are listed asco-starters, meaning that tight battle won't likely be decidedbefore seeing both in action in at least one game.

Saban said the coaches will have a plan for both passers -- andnot deviate from it if one of them makes a mistake.

"I don't want any player over there looking over their shoulderlike, `If I make one bad play, they're going to pull me out of thegame,"' Saban said. "That's not going to happen."

-- All-Southeastern Conference guard Barrett Jones is listed withfreshman Cyrus Kouandjio as co-No. 1 at left tackle, where Jonesstarted working late in the spring.

-- Redshirt freshman DeAndrew White is a starter at widereceiver, where senior Darius Hanks must sit out the first twogames because of NCAA participation rules.

-- Junior college transfer Jesse Williams, a 6-foot-4,319-pounder, won a starting job at defensive end to replace No. 3NFL draft pick Marcell Dareus.

"We have lots of competition in the defensive line," Sabansaid.

The coach and players say they hope lessons were learned fromlast season when they didn't live up to the preseason predictionsto repeat as national champions.

Saban said he likes the team's attitude and approach to theseason.

"All those things are going to get determined by what we do,"he said. "The preseason stuff is all determined by what we've donein the past, which has nothing to do with what we do in the future.I'm hopeful that the players have learned that by past experience.

"Just the way people think. I don't care what game it is orwhat league you're playing in, you can't compete that way."

Noseguard Josh Chapman said he took it as a good sign thatplayers were already watching film when he got to the footballcomplex Monday.

"It's early in the week," Chapman said. "You don't normallysee a lot of guys in the film room until later on in the week, andthey're already in there."

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